This invention relates in general to communications systems. More specifically, it relates to a generic, multi-media, multi-channel, messaging (server application) system. The messaging system is formed of loosely coupled subsystems that can handle message creation, receipt and response for any digitalizable message, in any format, via any popular messaging device, interface, or mode, that is received and delivered via any popular channel.
Communications systems that interconnect users to transmit content are typically designed using an architecture, protocols, interfaces, end-user devices, etc., that are most effective for a given type of content, in a given format, transmitted on a known channel operating with a known protocol. A system for analog voice communications is often quite different from one for digital, data communications.
Ideally, a communication system is able to efficiently transmit messages of varying content and format using any of the common communications devices, channels, interfaces and modes. However, the variety of these options, and the competing design considerations inherent in the choices among these options, has been an obstacle to the implementation of a generic or “universal” messaging system that can receive, process and deliver messages regardless of variations in these various system and message parameters. Past approaches to messaging systems have used the commonalities among the formats of the messages they process to design the most effective architecture for handling those formats. However, where commonalities are few, and where differences are significant, known approaches have cost or performance limitations. Some examples of attempts to provide a more versatile messaging system are provided by granted and applied-for patents.
Published International Patent Application WO 01/09770, for example, describes a flexible rule-based information distribution system that selectively delivers messages generated by one or more originators to one or more recipients. The originator specifies rules to target a recipient, and a recipient also specifies rules by which to receive information. The rules refer to information that appears in user profiles and message data. There is no transformation of content, no synchronization of multimodal, multi-channel communications, and no generic user interfaces to publish to multiple node interfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,288 discloses a communication system that transfers data, metadata and methods from a provider computer to a consumer computer via a network. Metadata is used to provide combined control between the consumer and provider computers of the types and content of information transferred. There is no separation of the metadata and message content, nor multimodal synchronization of synchronous and asynchronous end user messages over multiple channels, as required in a truly universal communications system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,132 describes a Content Transformer operating on an input stream. There is no teaching of using such a transformer to provide a generic, multi-mode, multi-channel, synchronous and asynchronous communications over a network.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,898 describes a Nynex system that can transmit both voice and data messages. However, it does not operate to accept multi-channel communication to the same device, there is no multimodal synchronization, no integration to external messaging systems, the system is not massively distributed, and its operation does not separate and process independently the metadata and content of a message.
Published US Patent Application No. US2002/0078151 discloses a system for communicating messages of various formats between diverse communications devices. It can transmit over PSTN or IP networks. However, it uses a layered design that builds on these networks, not an application architecture operable within a network or networks. It also operates on messages and their metadata in the traditional manner, as an integral message unit.
In sum, while many solutions have been proposed or used for enhancing the capabilities of message communications systems, they solve some problems and add some capabilities, but there is no system that is truly universal and generic.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide an Omnimodal messaging system that can transmit multi-media messages received and delivered over multi-channels.
Another principal object is to provide a Omnimodal messaging system with the foregoing advantages that also operates in conjunction with any common communications device, interface, or mode.
Still another object is to provide these advantages for communications devices and protocols that are synchronous and asynchronous.
A further object is to provide the foregoing advantages in a system that is also scalable.
Yet another object is to provide the foregoing advantages while providing platform independent connections to external systems.
Another object is to provide a communications system that can receive, process and deliver message content in any media as long as there is a logical mapping between the content types and a transformation module exists.